SBCA Leadership Spotlight: Paul Johnson, P.E.

Paul Johnson, P.E., is a Chapter Representative of the SBCA Board of Directors and has been involved in the association since 1988, with the majority of his involvement surrounding the building code, technical, or engineering. Paul first got involved with SBCA when he worked for Clary Corporation and they had a booth at BCMC, where they brought machinery and software for demos. He then started looking into the association and various industry issues at the time. 

For Paul, his favorite parts of SBCA and the industry are the great people associated with it and how the organization brings together so many vendors and competitors, everyone can have fun, and work collaboratively toward a common goal. As a leader and member of SBCA, Paul’s goal for the association is to keep the industry out in the forefront and show off its technology and leadership in the industry.  

The industry has been a part of Paul’s life since he was just a kid, with his father always having something to build and sharing his projects with Paul – when he was too small to handle the saw, he would pound nails. At 16 years old, he got a job with a construction company in Columbus, NE, who built from the ground up using components – from pouring the foundation to painting and staining, it was a great experience for Paul and allowed him to work whenever he had free time throughout the school year. After high school, Paul attended the University of Texas in Arlington and during college worked for various construction companies and was later hired part-time by Clary Corporation to run their truss libraries. Upon receiving his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Clary hired Paul full-time, where he travelled around the country to work on the company’s accounts. From there, he transitioned industries and after a five-year stint in the Nebraska Public Power plant, Paul returned to the components industry and worked at Ottawa Truss in western Michigan. Eventually, his family brought him and his wife back to Texas, where he has worked for Universal Forest Products Inc. (UFPI) since 2000.  

At UFPI, Paul is the Engineering Manager; in this role, he and his group take care of the Western region’s engineering needs, from sealing drawings and providing repairs to significant site issues, along with code officials and other various building or government groups. Additionally, UFPI has supported Paul’s role as an instructor for both the industry and the ICC code throughout the U.S. Beyond work and his involvement with SBCA, Paul enjoys building, woodworking, gardening, and spending time with his family. Paul can be reached at info@sbcacomponents.com.